Improving access to rheumatologists: Use and benefits of an electronic consultation service

Abstract

Objective: To describe the use and benefits of an innovative eConsult service to improve access to rheumatologists. Methods: There were 225 eConsults directed to rheumatology that were categorized by type of question and effect on face-to-face referral rates. Results: The median response time by the rheumatologists was 1.9 days. Clinical questions included drug treatment (34%), diagnosis (26%), or management (14%). Osteoporosis was the most common diagnosis (22%), followed by pain in multiple joints (11%), and polyarthritis (10%). A face-to-face referral was avoided in 38% of cases. Conclusion: There are clinical questions that can be answered quickly by an eConsult, improving access to rheumatologists.